DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE WHY

Sometimes we get so caught up in why things are happening that it immobilizes us and prevents us from moving forward. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to ask God why, but He may not always answer. If He doesn’t answer, or doesn’t provide the answer we are seeking we must still move forward. When you get caught up in why something has happened you may feel sorry for yourself, have a pity party, walk around with a woe is me mentality. A woe is me mentality can be described as a feeling of distress, sadness, or grief, all of which we know God does not want us to wallow in. As a matter of fact, He wants just the opposite for us. He gives us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. We don’t always see our way clear while in the midst of a storm, but once we get through the storm we always recognize and acknowledge it is God that has brought us through the storm. It’s my opinion, that when we start thinking we could have done something to prevent something from happening, or we try to fix something that has happened we are being prideful. I’m not saying we shouldn’t take responsibility for our actions. What I am saying is that when we think we could have changed something that was beyond our control we shift our confidence from being in God to being in ourselves. We know we cannot change what has already occurred, so instead we seek God for wisdom. We ask Him to give us guidance and instruction, while at the same time giving us the peace and strength that we need to get through whatever we encounter. We can’t allow others to blame us for things that are not our fault. If you train up your child up in the way in which they should go, and they commit a crime it’s not your fault. If you do everything you can in a situation and things do not go as planned it’s not your fault. Don’t let people goad you into thinking something is your fault when it is not your fault. Once again you are getting caught up in the why. We can either get caught up in “the why” and literally make ourselves sick, with headaches, high blood pressure, knots in our stomachs and restless nights, or we can decide to seek God and His peace, recognizing that what’s done is done and worrying about what has already occurred will not change it. Change the way you think. Instead of thinking about why, think about who. Think about who can bring you comfort, who can bring you strength and who can bring you peace regardless of why. Think about Jesus.

How Quickly We Forget

When things are going well we may not think about how we are faring. It’s almost as though we take our state of being for granted. Sure, we have our occasional aches and pains. We may overcook a meal, arrive late for an appointment, or get angry when we get stuck in traffic. We have those aw man moments, but we quickly get over them. Life is good. We are walking by faith. But when things in our lives are not going the way we have planned, the way we expect them to go or the way we would like for them to go we can become discouraged. When our brief aw man moments linger we may sink into despair. We may have doubt, or even question whether we are in Gods will. We may even say to ourselves this is too much. Don’t allow your emotions to keep you from your destiny. The enemy will try to convince you that you are not qualified for what God has told you that you are qualified. He will use whomever, or whatever he can, including your own thoughts to persuade you into thinking that you are not going to make it, that you are incapable of reaching your goal or achieving your destiny. The enemy wants you to forget that your life is predestined. He wants you to forget that God created your destiny before you were born. He wants you to forget that what God has purposed no man can stop. Today may be bright and sunny, we are out and about, enjoying life. But when the storm comes we run for cover. We pull our heads into our shell like a tortoise. We may even shut down. Instead of praising God like we were when it was sunny, depending on the severity of our storm, we may barely open our mouth to pray. Where’s our faith? We read in James 1:23-24 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. Are you forgetting who you are? If we are walking by faith only when things are going well, are we really walking by faith? I believe we are as the man James has described. When things are going well we are standing on Gods promises, proclaiming them to the world. But when things go awry rather than Gods promises being in the forefront of our mind we allow our situation, the cares of the world or whatever the enemy is using to distract us to take precedence. We forget whose we are, children of the most high God, and we forget who we are, a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, the righteousness of God. God is saying to you this day “I have given you my promise, and unlike man I cannot lie.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Whatever God has promised you will come to pass. Don’t give up on the you God created you to be. Stand firm on His promises. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You are more than a conqueror. Overcoming is your destiny.

Today is Your Day

When people around you seem to be content where they are, you may need to move away from them to get to where you need to be. You can’t allow people, places, or things to stunt your growth. God has a plan for your life which you will only achieve by being in motion; pressing towards His destiny for your life. Every one of us has been placed on this earth for a purpose. It is your right and your responsibility to fulfill your purpose. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. We must make a conscious effort to pursue our purpose. Nothing happens when you do nothing. Everything takes effort. It takes effort for you to listen to or read these words. It takes effort to decide to change where you are and what you are doing. It takes effort to create a plan to move forward. It takes effort to make steps in a new direction, or continue in the right direction. And it all starts with you. No one can do it for you. Words can motivate, people can encourage and inspire, but you must make the effort. Don’t depend on someone else to join you or pull you along the way. It’s great to have someone in your corner to cheer you on with each step, but you must keep moving. Even when there isn’t anyone physically there, God is always there. Oftentimes we depend on validation from man to know we are moving in the right direction. What more do we need than the encouragement of The One who placed us on this journey in the first place. Just as the Lord God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, He is saying the same thing to you and me. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Now is the time to move forward. Now is the time to make a decision to follow the path that has already been laid out for you. Now is the time to put the past behind, gird up your loins, move forward and not look back. What are you going to do today to make a change in your life?

Believe and Execute

Before you were born, God equipped you with everything you would need to excel in His predestined plan for your life. Not only did God equip you with everything you would need to excel, He knew every thought you would think, every word you would speak. He knew every time you would skin your knee, fall in love, be hurt by love. He knew when you would be angry, sad and happy. He knew all about you. He cared and still cares about everything that touches your life. Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah was ordained a prophet unto the nations, but what has God ordained for your life? Jeremiah 29:1 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Whatever God has ordained He has an expected end, a predestined plan, a plan filled with peace and good, not of evil. Let’s talk about believing and executing. Believing is having confidence in the truth, and we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. In essence, we are saying we have confidence in Christ, or in Gods ability to carry out His plans for us through us. The word execute can be defined as to carry out, or accomplish. To perform or do, to produce in accordance with a plan or design. When we follow or execute Gods plan for our life, we are in fact producing, bringing forth, or giving birth to the plan or design that was created specifically for us.

The Helmet of Salvation

There are so many things that can cause us to worry, to be distracted, to be stressed and depressed. But because God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind I believe that He protects us from the many things that could cause us to have fear, to be worried and distressed, but because of His love, His mercy and His grace He keeps our minds in perfect peace, even when we don’t even realize it. I believe God places that helmet of salvation over us when we confess Him as Lord and Savior. But the enemy tries to tilt our helmet to the side or knock it off of our head by launching his fiery darts at us, allowing our mind to be exposed from time to time. We know the tricks of the enemies. Just like he knows which buttons to push, which darts to shoot as us to distract us and take our attention off of the comforter, the Holy Spirit that resides in us. We also know our own weaknesses. We know what will rock us. Knowing this we need to put up guard. We need to remain steadfast in faith and prayer.

Great Expectations

We are looking for a mighty move of God in in 2017.

Isaiah 43:18-19 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

As we move into a new year expect God to do a new thing. Expect Him to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think. Join us each month as we explore what God has in store for us as we remain steadfast in faith and prayer.

What are you expecting in 2017?  What are you believing God for? I’ll bet you have a list that goes on and on. You may be believing God for health for yourself and loved ones, maybe a better or different job, a financial breakthrough or perhaps to discover your purpose. And don’t forget salvation for your lost loved ones. These are just a few of the things that most of us want. We want and expect God to come through for us, to be committed to us and rightly so, He says in Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

But what about our commitment to Him? Let’s face it. Oftentimes we start off the New Year with a renewed zeal. We are gung ho, whether our commitment is to a new eating plan, to exercise, to change an unhealthy lifestyle or to renew our commitment to Christ. We may even start the year with a fast, but what happens after the first month or two? Our enthusiasm and our commitment begin to wane. Why is that? We make plenty of excuses ranging from not enough time, which I believe is our biggest offender to I’m going to do it tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes.

Procrastination – did you know procrastination is a form of fear? Fear that you may not be able to whatever it is that you want to do, fear that you may not be as successful as you would like to be, so you put things off and sometimes don’t even attempt to do whatever it is. Sometimes our procrastination comes from fear of success. What if I’m successful? What happens next? Will I be able to keep it up? Will people find out I’m really a fraud. These are just the fiery darts the enemy uses to keep us from our destiny, from the exceedingly abundant life God has created for us. Have you ever closed your eyes and saw yourself doing everything you God has gifted you to do, or placed in your spirit that you can be? If you haven’t, I recommend that you do just that today.

Write the vision and make it plain. See yourself the way God sees you. He doesn’t see you as a failure. He doesn’t even see your sin. He sees you as the masterpiece He created you to be. Don’t allow the enemy within, your own thoughts, or the enemy without, the naysayers to sidetrack you from what God has for you. God wants you to have great expectations!

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select Great Expectations

http://www.gretahillman.com/#!audiovideo/cd8l

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IS IT THEM OR IS IT YOU?

How many of you expect people to behave the same way that you behave? How many of you have certain expectations of people or certain behaviors that you consider as suitable? I think we all have a few expectations when it comes to others. For example, if you are a hard worker you expect others to be hard workers. If you are happy go lucky, you expect other people to be happy go lucky. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand why other people’s thoughts, behaviors and values differ vastly from our own. But when our expectations are not met, are we not judging others? Are we not finding fault with others thoughts, behaviors and values because they differ from ours?

Just because someone does not agree with us, or their thoughts, behaviors and values differ from ours does not make them wrong and us right, or vice versa.

One definition of self-righteous reads

Confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others. Ouch!

It may not be intentional, but sometimes our behaviors may be considered as self-righteous.

Each of us strive to walk in spirit, to exhibit the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. However, our flesh as we know is enmity against our spirit and causes a war between the two.

Paul said in Romans 7:19-20 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

It’s the flesh, the carnal nature that is quick to act, to judge, to condemn, to think and speak things that are contrary to the truth, or the spirit.

James admonishes us in chapter 1 verse 19 to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

Why does James say this? He says this because it’s the nature of our flesh to do just the opposite. Oftentimes we begin our rebuttal, our answer, or our solution while someone is still speaking. How can we hear if we are thinking about what we are going to say? Sometimes we speak without even thinking about what we are going to say. We just react without weighing our thoughts. Unfortunately our reaction at times may even be out of anger, because we have not been swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

Do you count yourself among those that speak without knowing the entire situation? I think most of us do at some time. How could we not? Only God knows everything.

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select Is It Them or Is It You

http://www.gretahillman.com/#!audiovideo/cd8l

Join Sisters Steadfast in Faith Thursdays at 7p.m.EST for E2E, Empowered to Excel

Dial 641-715-3610 access code 215480